Cops forced to fix community problem

EXCESS alcohol consumption is one of the biggest, and most prevalent burdens in our community. Surely that is a bipartisan statement to make.

There is immense cost, and not just financial, to livelihoods, health, education, and the future of our kids.

And that’s before we start to rack up the bottom line effect on the public purse in dollar terms.

That’s why it makes sense to look at every aspect of the supply of alcohol into towns across every corner of the Territory, and for government to legislate and develop policy accordingly.

Prevention is better than cure, no surprise there. But who should be paying?

It should be expected that the taxpayer funds part of the solution, just as we fund public education, hospitals and roads, for example.

But the responsibility does not sit wholly and solely with the taxpayer, nor should it sit solely with our Police and their fellow frontline workers who are the first, and sometimes only point of call to help.

This is not about electorates or the Berrimah Line. Self-interest and electoral cycles must give way to courageous decisions leading to long-term and meaningful outcomes.

Greater co-operation among stakeholders, starting with the liquor industry, should be a core focus to tackle excess supply into the community.

Everyone has the right to operate a business, but that right comes with responsibility. There must be greater focus on the alcohol industry itself, the retail outlets and the wholesalers who profit from the high consumption and resultant harm the rest of us are left to pick up the pieces for and foot the bill.

By his own admission, the Chief Minister says that alcohol-related harm continues to be the biggest social challenge in the Northern Territory.

The reintroduction of the Banned Drinkers Register (BDR) is a welcome measure.

The BDR should be viewed as just one tool in a suite of options that allows the Territory to not only better control the flow of alcohol into the community, but work to minimise the harm it causes – personally, socially and economically – when consumed excessively.

The cold harsh reality is it is the police who currently carry the proverbial can for tackling supply.

The question has to be asked, why?

Why do we insist on tasking up professional Police Officers to stand and act as a security guard to a (profit-making) private business, removing them from first response patrols to the ever increasing private and commercial crime throughout the Territory?

Currently, in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine there are more than 60 fullytrained police officers tied solely to rosters on POSI work, acting as a pseudo security guard and not able to perform real police duties.

To put that into perspective, that is the equivalent of 30 police response vehicles patrolling the streets, working for all of the community proactively preventing crime.

Despite government push- ing back the responsibility of POSI duties to the Commissioner of Police, the reality is until the BDR is introduced, your tax funded police officers will continue to shoulder the burden at the point of sale and be left to pick up the social mess once the alcohol is consumed.

The new BDR model, for which the Bill was introduced to parliament this week, will work to address some of the harm caused by excess consumption, however, it fails to address supply specifically. Furthermore, there seems to be very little movement towards introducing other initiatives to support the BDR and build a suite of options.

As the representative body of the Territory’s police officers, the Northern Territory Police Association listens to and speaks for the cops who are required to respond to the expected results of excess grog in our communities, at every corner of the Territory, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

The tap for police work, seemingly just like the tap for alcohol in the Northern Territory, never turns off.

It’s time for the Territory government to heighten regulation of the access to alcohol and its consumption in the Northern Territory.

The government’s own statistics reference one takeaway liquor outlet for every 353 adults in the Territory.

The question must be asked, do we need that many licensed takeaways?

A reduction of outlets, which could be facilitated via a licence buy back scheme, should be discussed, as should the fees charged to operate a takeaway licence.

Let’s not forget, this is the source of the problem. There must be stricter control and review mechanisms in place for those who profit from selling alcohol. In addition to this, stricter regulation must take place, including an increase in penalties for those found to be selling alcohol using secondary supply.

This should be coupled with increased penalties – including heftier fines, suspension or loss of licence – for (licensed) outlets and individuals that break the law selling grog.

Let’s also not forget, the government already has an enforcement arm of licensing, which should be better

“Why do we insist on tasking up professional police officers to stand and act as a security guard to a (profit-making) private business”

resourced and further empowered to co-ordinate a strategic approach in monitoring all takeaway licensed venues across the Territory. But these suggestions are about more than legislation, remedies such as this strike at the very heart of the Territory’s drinking problems — the industry that profits from the harm in our community.

It is time for some tough and decisive action in the Territory, otherwise those that come be- hind us for generations to come will be left to have the same discussion we’re are having now, which were the same discussions taking place dec- ades ago too. It’s time for the community to be the winner over politics and profits.